Series XXVIII consist of maps and architectural drawings pertaining to real estate, land ownership, rivers, proposed canals, railroads, and machinery. This series is comprised of oversize maps and drawing, many of the material are from other series within the Henry Clay Frick Business Records. The buildings drawings and blueprints mainly pertain to Henry Clay Frick’s real estate in western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh. Building materials include the Frick Building (1901-1902), Frick Building Annex (1905-1906), Union Arcade Building (1915-1917), William Penn Hotel (1914-1916), and the Highland Building (1909-1910). Drawings contain pre-construction plans, elevations, floor plans, altercations, and mechanical/electrical/HVAC/plumbing plans. Also, included are records pertaining to properties in and near the city of Pittsburgh. Most of these documents show various streets, avenues, alleys, and landownership in Allegheny County, Pa. For example, there are some copies of Hopkins Maps showing the early resident of H.C. Frick and Mrs. Frick.

Other materials relate to coal, coke, and steel manufacturing. Drawings for mill equipment mostly pertain to furnaces and ingots. However there are also some drawings for engines, strippers, and brakes. Records pertain to coal and coke entities that relate to the series of H.C. Frick Coke Companies, Shaw Coal Company, St. Paul Coal Company, Josiah Vankirk Thompson, and the Faraday Coal and Coke Company. These materials mostly consist of coal maps and land tracts for each company. Also, included are some charts and diagrams relative to the production of coke from 1880s to 1910.

The other major portion of records consists of material pertaining to the proposed Lake Erie to Ohio River Canal route. Ever since Pittsburgh’s industrial age development, creating a canal from the Ohio River to Lake Erie has been an idea. In the 1930s, Congress and the Board of Army Engineers held meetings for a possible canal route. There were four proposed routes and they were: Beaver-Ashtabula, Allegheny River-French Creek, Cincinnati-Toledo; and the Portsmouth-Sandusky. Being the shortest route, the Beaver-Ashtabula was selected and most of the records pertain to that proposal. This route started at the mouth of the Beaver River near Rochester, Pa. and went northward to the Mahoning River by New Castle, Pa. From there, the canal went northwest towards Youngstown, Ohio. The canal would have continued northward using Ohio’s northeastern lakes, rivers, and tributaries in the counties of Trumbull and Ashtabula. The canal would end at or near Ashtabula, Ohio. Materials included are maps, surveys, and plans for rivers, canal routes, townships, cities, and various waterways.

This series contains seven subseries: Series Related Material, Properties, Waterways and Canals, Machinery, U.S. Geological Surveys, Railroads, and Miscellaneous Maps. The records are arranged alphabetically by series and are dated from 1899 to 1984.

The Map and Architectural Drawings inventory is available in
PRINT at the Archives Service Center.

Subseries 1.Series-Related Material

Scope and Content Notes:

This subseries contains the maps and architectural drawing that correspond to other series within the collection. The items in this subseries have been separated from their original series due to size, nature, and format of the material. This subseries contains material for Series I to XXVII

9. Map of the Pocahontas Coal Lands of the Faraday Coal and Coke Company on the waters of Horsepen Creek, Jacobs Fork, Dry Fork and Indian Creek, McDowell County, West Virginia and Tazewell, Virginia. Blueprint. (25" x 52") [2 sheets], September 27, 1902

10. Map showing lands of the Faraday Coal and Coke Company on the waters of Jellico Creek and Clear Fork of Cumberland River. Whitley County, Kentucky. Map. (42" x 44") [2 sheets], Undated

11. Map showing lands of the Faraday Coal and Coke Company on the waters of Jellico Creek and Clear Fork of Cumberland River. Whitley County, Kentucky. Blueprint. (42" x 44") [2 sheets], Undated

The material in this subseries are maps and architectural drawings relating to properties that Frick either owned, prospected for purchase, or was in close proximity to one of his many businesses. The majority of the properties reside in western Pennsylvania, however there are also maps of Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

2. Graphic diagram showing the relative production of coke in the United States and the Connellsville Regions, also the probably production of the next twenty years of the Connellsville Region. Blueprint. (11.5" x 13"), 1910

3. Statistics on the coke-making industry of the ten leading states. Blueprint. (10" x 15"), 1910

6. Detail of map of downtown Pittsburgh from unidentified source. Paper copy. (13" x 16.5") [Photocopy (in Mylar). The map states “red pointer indicates 20 Anderson St. where in 1868 H.C.F. boarded. The ’68 Directory lists him as ‘Henry C. Frick’ The only record of such signature see p. 26 ‘H.C.F. The Man’ ”], undated

The transportation of coal, coke, and manufacturing materials used in the production of steel contributed to almost half of the cost of the finished product. Frick knew that transporting his materials via waterways and canals would greatly reduce his cost of shipping for his various companies. Frick who was always interested in the bottom line was highly invested in the research and development of canals and waterway transportation. This subseries illustrated many of the waterways and canal routes Frick used to transport both his raw material and Carnegie Company steel products. Many of the maps show the waterways and surround towns and communities in the general region.

9. For building five pairs of lock gates and anchorages. Blueprint. (7" x 15"), 1906

Subseries 4.Machinery

Scope and Content Notes:

This subseries mainly contain sketches and blueprints of steel production machinery from the early 20th century. Some of the sketches of machinery include blast furnaces, explosive gas determinator, stem flying shear table, continuous mill, hot saws, billet shear, and tables.

The maps in this subseries are U.S. Geological Surveys of both geologic and topographic maps from Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. U.S. Geological Surveys were general used in speculation claims for future purchases and development of lands and resources. The surveys date from 1900 to 1960.

1. U.S. Geological Survey. Topographical Atlases of Virginia and West Virginia.

1. Tazewell Folio. Paper copy. (22" x 18.5") [8 sheets], 1897

2. Pocahontas Folio. Paper copy. (22" x 18.5") [10 sheets], 1896

Subseries 6.Railroads

Scope and Content Notes:

These materials are maps, sketches, and surveys of railroads that Frick used in planning the transport of his coke and steel products. The railroad plans include Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, St. Clair Terminal Railroad, Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad and Coal Company, as well as Midway and Oakdale Railway Company. There are also some railroad and railway maps produced by the Pennsylvania State Railroad. The maps and sketches date from 1890 to 1912.

8. Plan of current and proposed railways along the Monongahela River. Blueprint. (20.5" x 33"), undated

Roll

6

1. Letter and analysis from Pennsylvania Railroad president James McCrea re: analysis of new enterprises located on railroads in Pittsburgh district. Blueprint. (17" x 20") [13 sheets of analysis], December 7, 1911

Subseries 7.Assorted Maps and Architectural Drawings

Scope and Content Notes:

The maps and architectural drawings contained in this subseries do not pertain to any specific series or category. These materials included Iron Clad building elevation plans, Pennsylvania travel route plans, unidentified buildings, and park plans.